A new startup called Dandelion, born from the secretive and futuristic lab "X" of Google's parent company Alphabet, says it will offer affordable geothermal heating and cooling systems to homeowners. . .

In the winter, water located inside the pipes absorbs heat from the earth. The pump then turns it into warm air. In the summer, the pump pulls warm air out of the home and the pipes disperse the heat back into the ground.

Dandelion's drill is fast and lean, allowing for only one or two deep holes a few inches wide.

This is not a new technology- it has been around for 50+ years. My grandfather had one of these systems installed for a house he built in the Ozark mountains back in the 80's. Once installed- it is very efficient - he never paid more then $70/month for heating or cooling. Most months were less than that.

These systems cost more to install in our area because of all the rock up here. It will take many more hours to drill the rock. The cost- benefit analysis will only show a savings if you intend to stay in the same house for 20 years. These are difficult to install in the city because of all the utilities buried in the ground.

Funny how these companies keep coming up with the same stuff and they call it a new idea. Maybe they are looking for investors?

_________________"Corruptissima republica plurimae leges"(69 A.D.)

Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the Gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the distribution of equal misery Churchill

I was like "what, how can summertime grass heat a wintertime home?" That's a geothermal heat pump! Though you can use biomass with a heat pump to heat a home, I understand this is done in places by creating a massive compost pile and running heat exchanger hoses through it. Apparently, it's exothermic for many months when done correctly.

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